A New Life
by Ketchupwings
Summary: Tessa Gray, fresh from New York, arrives in London, ready to start university. Right away she encounters Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs, two boys who intrigue her. But they are hiding a secret which Tessa can't even begin to imagine.
1. Chapter 1

**The idea for this story came to me in a flash of inspiration. Here's the first chapter!**

Tessa Gray stepped out of Heathrow Airport and took a deep breath.

"London," she said with excitement.

This is what she had been working towards for three years now. Raised in New York, it had always been Tessa's dream to come to London to study – and now she was here.

"Taxi!" She leaped towards the taxi stand and grabbed the first taxicab she could see.

"Address?" he inquired.

Tessa fumbled for her iPhone and read out the address to the driver, who seemed to recognize it immediately.

"You're going to the University?" he asked as the taxi pulled out of Heathrow.

Tessa nodded with excitement. "Yes," she said, nodding enthusiastically.

She was going to be majoring in Literature at London's prestigious University. She didn't know how long she would be in London, but she was excited – extremely excited. She settled down and gazed out the window at her first glimpse of the United Kingdom.

**~~Page Break~~**

"You must be Theresa!"

A blonde girl bounced up to Tessa happily. "I'm Sophie!" she introduced herself. "I'm going to be your roommate!"

A slightly overwhelmed Tessa let Sophie take one of her suitcases and drag it up the steps of the University. "Please, call me Tessa," she said, huffing and puffing already to keep up with Sophie. "Theresa's way too formal for me."

Sophie laughed. "American! Is this your first time in London?"

"Yes, actually," Tessa laughed. "I was brought up in New York."

"Well, I'm sure you'll love it here. There's a lot to do and see! I'm a Londoner myself, born and bred – "

Through Sophie's never-ending stream of friendly chatter, she somehow managed to navigate through the corridors of the University, until she and Tessa stood before a dark wooden door.

"This is it," Sophie said as she pushed open the door.

Tessa stepped in. It was a smallish room, but something about it made it so cozy and warm and loving. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the room and showing two beds lying a few feet apart. Sophie's belongings were already lying on one of the beds, pleasantly facing her.

Spinning around, Tessa raised her hands to the ceiling. "I love it already!"

Sophie helped Tessa unpack, talking all the way. The two girls got to know each other so well that, by the time they left their room, Tessa felt like they were already old friends.

"I'll show you around the University," Sophie said cheerfully. "It can be quite intimidating unless you've had a tour."

Tessa was led on a whirlwind tour of the building, and was shown everything – the food hall, the classrooms, the sports facilities, and of course the library. Oh, the library! When Tessa saw it, her mouth fell open in wonder. Bookcases stretched nearly to the ceiling of a cavernous room. They were all around her.

Sophie chuckled. "I can see you're a bookworm. Well, welcome to the largest library that Great Britain has to offer."

"I want to read everything!" Tessa almost shouted, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Oh, that can wait! There's even more to see!"

By the time their tour drew to a close, the sun had just set. Tessa's brain was whirling, filled with so much new information.

"I'm sorry," she said as she paused for a moment and swayed. "This is a lot to process."

Sophie grimaced. "Sorry! Did I go through it too fast?"

"Not at all! I loved every second – it's just you might have to explain some stuff to me again. I'm not sure I filed away everything you said."

Sophie winked. "Gotcha. On that note, I'm having dinner with a couple of my friends – not at the University, out in London. Do you want to come? I'll introduce you to everyone."

Tessa agreed wholeheartedly, and after fetching their purses, the two girls set out. Tessa stared at the streets of London. Being a New Yorker, she really shouldn't have been this amazed by London, but she couldn't help it. Everyone always said New York was the capital of the world, but she thought that London was so much more suited to the title; so many more layers of history and culture, centuries of being the world's most prominent city. London was old when New York was just trees and forest.

Yup. Tessa was an Anglophile, and proud of it.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Sophie introduced Tessa to all her friends: jolly Agatha, friendly Thomas and Cyril, singing Bridget and sulky Jessamine. They sat at a large table and Sophie's friends asked Tessa questions about New York; none of them had ever been to the United States.

"Are we waiting for anyone?" Tessa inquired, seeing two empty chairs.

"Yes, we are," Sophie said. "But don't worry, they're usually late."

"_Fashionably_ late," said a male voice. Tessa turned around.

Two boys stood before her. The boy who had just spoken was one of the most gorgeous guys Tessa had ever laid eyes on. Dark-haired, blue-eyed, with a face that could have been carved by angels. He was tall and muscular, and his mouth quirked sideways in an annoyingly cute smirk.

The other boy had silvery hair and eyes, which shone with a friendly twinkle. He was very tall and slender, and as Tessa looked at him, he smiled at her, and she was struck by how straightforward, happy and _honest_ the smile was.

"Oh, sit down, Will," said Sophie in an exasperated tone. "Tessa, meet Will Herondale and James Carstairs."

"Call me Jem," said the silver-haired boy as he slid into the empty seat next to Tessa. Will raised his eyebrows at Tessa as he took the seat next to Jem.

"So, you're the American we're going to have to endure," he said.

"Oh, yes I am," said Tessa. "American and proud of it."

Will looked at her and smirked again. "I hear you're majoring in Literature."

"Yup."

"Then we'll be seeing quite a lot of each other, won't we?" Will winked at her, leaving her flustered.

Their orders arrived, and everyone dug in. It was delicious, and Tessa found herself wolfing down her spaghetti. By the time they finished, it was getting late.

"Time to go back," said Sophie regretfully.

Will stood up. "Yes, it is. Come on, Jem. Let's go."

"Aren't you coming back to the University with us?"

"Will and I don't live on campus," Jem explained as he, too, got to his feet. "We live at the Institute."

Tessa had no idea what that was, but Will was already urging Jem to leave. "Come on, Jem! We have to go, or Charlotte won't be happy with us."

"All right, all right, I'm coming." Jem gathered his things and left. "It was so nice to have dinner with all of you. I'll see you guys next week."

"Bye, Jem," everyone chorused.

Tessa's eyes followed the two boys as they left. As Jem opened the door to the exit, though, something caught her eye. She might've imagined it, but she could've sworn that, under his sleeve, she'd seen a black, curling shape imprinted on his skin – like a tattoo.

**Sooooo, what did y'all think of the first chapter? Please leave me some reviews and tell me how you felt :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! The second chapter to the story:**

There were a few days to go before classes started, so Tessa decided to make use of the time she had to explore the University.

She wandered everywhere, examining every nook and cranny that there was to be seen, sticking mostly to the busy areas with lots of people so she didn't get too lost. She usually ended up lost anyway, though, and had to ask directions back to her dorm.

Occasionally she would hang out with Sophie and a couple of her new friends, but she preferred to wander alone and satisfy her curiosity about the place.

One day, she was wandering through the University grounds when she saw a familiar silver head, its owner seated on a nearby bench. She walked a bit closer to ensure that it was him, then grinned when she saw that it was.

"Jem!"

On hearing his name, Jem looked up. He smiled, and again Tessa was struck by how happy his smile looked. It wasn't often that someone put their entire being into their smiles like that, Tessa realized – people needed to do that more often.

"Hi, Tessa," he said cheerfully. "Won't you sit with me?" He patted the bench next to him.

Tessa came and sat next to him obediently. It had been a few days since she'd met him for the first time, and she hadn't seen him since then.

"How've you been keeping?" she asked.

"Pretty well, thanks. How about you? Do you miss home?"

Tessa wrinkled her nose. "I've only been here a few days, Jem. I can't miss home yet."

"Fair enough," Jem agreed. "Have you always lived in New York?"

"Yeah. Actually, this is my first time out of the United States."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've always been an Anglophile, and it's always been my dream to study in London. When I applied to the University, I never expected to get in, and I was hella shocked when I did. I'm sure you can imagine the commotion that followed – rushing out to apply for a passport, packing everything I needed, _buying_ everything I needed."

"I can understand what it's like to move so far away from home," Jem said. "I was actually born in Shanghai, China. I came to London when I was twelve and I've lived here ever since."

Tessa raised her eyebrows. "Wow. And I thought I was exotic and stuff."

Jem laughed.

They lapsed into comfortable silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry if I'm being rude," said Jem, "but are your parents alive?"

Tessa looked at him, surprised (but not unpleasantly) by his directness. "No, actually, I'm an orphan. How'd you know?"

Jem smiled ruefully. "We orphans learn to recognize each other. How did your parents die?"

"I never knew my father. He left my mother before I was born. When I was four, she died of cancer – I barely remember her. I was raised by my aunt and my brother. They're still in New York."

Jem nodded gravely. "I'm sorry."

Another silence.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me your sob story?" Tessa said playfully.

"My father was British, and my mother was Chinese. They met in London, and moved to Shanghai, where I was born." Jem was silent for a moment. "They were killed in a car accident when I was twelve."

"I'm sorry." Tessa was. Her parents' death had never been an awful big deal for her, because she barely remembered them. Jem losing his parents at twelve – they must've meant to a lot to him, for he was silent now.

"Don't be." Jem looked at her and smiled. "I've made my peace with it. It's been six years now."

Tessa smiled back. Jem seemed pretty awesome; chill and not saddened by the burdens of his past.

"I thought you didn't live on campus? What're you doing here?"

Jem sighed. "I'm waiting for Will. He said he had some business here at the University, and brought me along. He told me to wait here, and said he'd be back by 2:30." He looked at his watch. "It's 3:15 now."

"Goodness! What could be keeping him?"

Jem got to his feet. "I'd better go looking for him. Care to join me?"

Tessa did care to join him, and they fell in step as they went off searching for Will.

Jem seemed to have a pretty good idea where to find Will. He led Tessa through the winding corridors of the University (still very much a mystery to Tessa) and down a flight of stairs. Finally, he came to a halt outside a door. Without knocking, he opened the door and walked in. Tessa followed him.

The room was very similar to the one that Tessa shared with Sophie, only it was a bit more girly. Sprawled on one of the beds were Will and a brown-haired girl. Will was on top, and they were kissing and groping – _everywhere_. The girl was moaning slightly against Will's mouth.

Tessa gulped and looked away. Thankfully, both Will and the girl were fully clothed, but it was still horribly awkward.

Jem cleared his throat, and Will broke away from the girl. He blinked, disoriented, and his eyes focused on Jem and Tessa.

"James! My good friend! And would you look at that, a wild American," he chuckled, sending a mischievous wink Tessa's way. Tessa smiled timidly back at him.

"It's 3:20," Jem told him. "Charlotte's expecting us back at the Institute."

"All right, all right, I'm coming." Will got to his feet. "Thanks for the study session, Beverly. It was really helpful."

"My name's Bianca," said the girl, but Will didn't seem to notice. Tessa followed him and Jem out of the room and back to the courtyard where she'd bumped into Jem.

Will turned and saluted Tessa. "Fare thee well, Tessa Gray! Until we meet again."

"That'll be Monday, since we have Literature classes together."

"Until Monday, then!" Will turned and started to head towards the University exit.

Jem smiled at Tessa. "It was great talking to you, Tessa."

"You too," Tessa returned.

Jem pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "Hey, could I get your number? We could talk more."

Tessa could only hope that she wasn't blushing furiously as she pulled out her iPhone and they exchanged numbers. Then Jem put his phone back in his pocket.

"I'll see you around, Tessa," he grinned, and then headed towards the exit, where Will was waiting.

Tessa waited till she was out of sight, then turned and made her way back to her dorm, smiling slightly.

**I wanted to have Tessa and Jem get to know each other a bit better. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Aaaaand welcome back to this story! **

The first thing Tessa did when she woke up for her first day of classes was step out of bed, trip and fall flat on her face.

Sophie helped her to her feet. "Careful," she laughed. "You don't want to be injured on your first day now, do you?"

"No, I don't," Tessa agreed.

Even though Sophie had given her a tour of the building a few days before, it was still huge, and Tessa found herself hopelessly lost within moments of setting out from her room.

She wandered the corridors in despair, searching desperately for the right room and barging in on classes in session several times. Just as she was about to accept that she was going to be inexcusably late on her very first day, she heard a voice.

"Need help?"

The arrogance in the voice was the same as it had been on Tessa's first night in London. Turning around, Tessa saw Will striding towards her. He was still breathtakingly handsome, enough to stop her heart – almost.

"Yes, please," she said. "I have no idea where I am and where I'm supposed to go."

"Yes, yes, you poor soul," Will said impatiently. "I suppose I should help you. Come."

Tessa gratefully fell into step behind him. He led her down a few corridors and hallways and suddenly was pushing open a door she hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry for being late, Professor Lightwood," he said, perfectly cheerfully.

Professor Lightwood didn't look like he bought it at all. He narrowed his eyes at Will. "Take your seat, Herondale, and not a word out of you this lecture," he warned.

Will obliged, and Tessa couldn't help but notice that the eyes of every girl (and one of the boys) followed him as he took his seat.

"You must be Miss Gray," said Professor Lightwood. Tessa jumped when she realized he was talking to her.

"Yes, I am," she said, offering a hasty smile. "Good to meet you."

"Welcome to the University, and the United Kingdom. Please, take a seat."

The only seat available was next to Will, so Tessa took it. He offered her a smile as she seated herself.

Professor Lightwood began to talk, and Tessa opened up her laptop and began to furiously take notes. Will, on the other hand, sat by and did absolutely nothing.

"Look at your notes," he whispered while Professor Lightwood's back was turned. "You've practically written a transcript."

"You should see some of my notes from high school. I could probably publish a series of books on a wide range of completely useless subjects."

Will chuckled, and Professor Lightwood spun around. "Herondale!" he snapped.

Will raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry, Professor," he apologized, insincerity ringing with every syllable he uttered. "Tessa just said something funny, that's all."

Tessa was suddenly aware that every girl (and one of the boys) was glaring at her.

When the lecture ended, Will waited for Tessa to finish gathering her belongings before they left the classroom. Together, they headed down to the food hall, where their friends were already waiting – Jem, Sophie, Agatha, Thomas, Cyril, and Jessamine.

"Where be the food?" Tessa demanded as she set down her belongings.

Will raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Not very good English for a Literature major."

"Me hungry. When me hungry, English speak is becoming hard difficulty."

Will laughed, and out of the corner of her eye Tessa caught a glimpse of Jem looking distinctly surprised. "Food's right over there," he said, pointing. "Although I'm sure the fine American dishes you're used to won't be."

"You evil Brits," Tessa said, setting off. "Making me settle for gourmet pasta and fish and chips. How dare you."

**~~Page Break~~ **

The next few days were a blur for Tessa. Life at the University was just as hectic as she'd imagined it would be, and the workload just as heavy. Regardless, she flung herself into the work as enthusiastically as she possibly could.

Friday evening, she was wandering back towards her dorm after an exhausting day when someone pounced on her.

"Sophie!" she gasped, and the other girl laughed. "Don't do that! You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Sorry," Sophie giggled, not sounding sorry in the slightest. "Anyway, I came to get you because our group is heading to dinner. Want to join us?"

"Please," Tessa agreed. "I'm absolutely famished. Just let me put down my stuff and I'll meet you by the entrance."

A few minutes later, they were strolling through London.

"Hey, I have an idea," said Sophie. "Let's cut through Hyde Park to get to the restaurant. You've never been to Hyde Park, have you?"

"I've been to Central Park," Tessa offered.

"Wrong side of the pond, dear. Come on, let's go."

They cut into the park, and began to walk through it. All around them, passersby strolled and enjoyed a Friday evening in the park. As they walked, they chatted about ordinary things: the University, homework, and so on, until Tessa glanced around. "Hey, where'd everyone go?"

Somehow, they'd left the busy, crowded part of Hyde Park, and were now in a darker area. The sun was setting and the trees blocked out most of the fading sunlight, so that Tessa and Sophie were mostly standing in shadow – Tessa couldn't even see the sky. The path they trod was a narrow trail leading between twisted branches and shrubs. It was quiet here – there wasn't really anyone about, in fact. Tessa didn't know how they'd managed to wander so far off course without noticing.

"We'd better find our way back," she sighed, "and we'll be late – "

"Tessa." Sophie's voice was alert. "Don't make a sound."

Confused, Tessa turned to face her. The other girl's face was suddenly creased with fear as she looked around the darkening park.

"Stupid, stupid," she seemed to curse herself. "Wandering off the path – " She suddenly turned to face the path in front of them and made a little choking noise, her face contorted with horror. Tessa turned to look.

A figure had appeared in front of them out of nowhere. It was small, and on closer inspection Tessa realized it was that of a wizened old man in rags. His eyes were entirely black, no whites at all, and as Tessa watched he smiled at them with razor-sharp teeth.

"Sophie?" Tessa whispered. "What is that?"

Sophie turned to face her, an incredulous expression on her face. "You can see it?"

"Of course I can see it!"

"But – how?"

"What do you mean? I see a little old man hobbling towards us! What's not to see about that?!"

As Sophie's eyes widened in astonishment, the wizened old man began to hobble forward. Sophie scrambled backwards in fear. "Get away from us," she panted. "We haven't caused the Fair Folk any trouble."

_The Fair Folk?_ Tessa wondered.

The little man spared a withering glance at Sophie. "Mundane girls. Not wise to do what you did. Intruding on our territory."

"We didn't know!" Sophie's voice was three octaves higher than it had been.

"There is a price to pay."

"Sophie," Tessa whispered, "what price? Who is that?"

Sophie swallowed. "You mean, _what_ is that," she corrected. "It's not human."

**Uh-oh, looks like trouble's brewing. What did you guys think? Reviews please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again! Sorry for the quick absence - I've had writer's block. But now I've written ahead and anyway here's the next chapter!**

"Not human? Then what is he?" Tessa demanded.

"A goblin!" cried the creature. "I am a proud goblin, and I do not take kindly to mundane intruders." Then it turned a beady eye on Tessa.

"What? Sophie, what's he saying?"

Sophie didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the goblin in front of her, who laughed openly.

"Filthy mundane girl," he spat. "From you, I shall feast!"

The little man leaped upon Sophie, who let out a bloodcurdling shriek. Teeth sank into Sophie's arm, and Tessa saw blood.

"No!" Without thinking, she launched herself towards Sophie. Her hands scrabbled frantically on the creature's scaly skin as she desperately tried to pry it from Sophie.

Then, there was a flash of metal, and the little man howled in agony. Tessa stared as blood, darker than a human's, spurted from Sophie's back, and the little man let go of Sophie, staggering backwards.

Looking up, Tessa saw Will Herondale. His face was hard and grim, and he had a sort of blade drawn – shining and radiating warmth. His sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, and Tessa saw the black, snaking shapes she had caught a glimpse of on her first night in London. Behind Sophie stood Jem, also with a blade drawn. He, too, had the black tattoos on his arms.

"Mercy, great Shadowhunter, mercy," the little man rasped.

"Attacking mundanes is against the Law," said Will, and the rage in his voice was awful. "And the penalty is death."

"Look away, Tessa," Jem urged, and Tessa obliged. She heard Will's blade sing through the air, and the little man wail in agony – until suddenly the cry was cut off.

Tessa rushed to Sophie's side. "Sophie, are you okay?"

Sophie's shoulder was bleeding freely from the wound, and she looked white as a sheet.

Will was at Sophie's side at once. "We must take her to the Institute."

"What about Tessa?"

"She's a mundane," Will said shortly. Tessa got the sense that being a mundane was not a good thing. "She has no business at the Institute unless she is wounded."

"No." It was Sophie who spoke. Her face was still pale, but she panted and looked at Tessa. "She's not just a mundane. She could see the goblin, just like I could."

The effect on Will and Jem would've been hilarious under different circumstances. Jem stepped back, incredulity on his face. Will's eyes sparked with astonishment.

"I don't even know what that means," Tessa pleaded.

Will's eyes were suddenly hard. "You're right, Sophie. We'd best bring her to the Institute."

**~~ Page Break ~~**

The Institute was huge. An enormous church. Tessa couldn't help but gaze in wonder as Will and Jem led Sophie in through the doors.

Inside, Tessa felt almost as if she was in a castle. Everything was made of stone, and enormous tapestries hung from the walls.

In the entrance foyer, a very small woman materialized, dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. Her arms were crisscrossed with the black tattoos that adorned the forearms of Will and Jem. Her dark brown hair was done tightly in a bun and her eyes sparkled with kindly concern. "Jem! Will!" she exclaimed. "And Sophie! My goodness, what happened to you?"

"Attacked by a rogue goblin in Hyde Park," said Will grimly.

"Oh, dear, you'd best get her inside." Then the woman's eyes fell on Tessa, and narrowed. "And who might you be?"

"Charlotte," said Jem, who had stepped to Tessa's side, "this is Tessa Gray."

Charlotte fixed her gaze on Tessa. Although her eyes were still kindly, they were sharp and discerning, and Tessa felt almost naked before her.

"We thought she was just a mundane," Jem continued, "but when she and Sophie were attacked by the goblin, Tessa saw the goblin just as clearly as Sophie could."

Charlotte's eyes widened.

"I don't know what that means," Tessa pleaded. "I don't even know what's happening to me right now."

The traumatic experience of being attacked finally seemed to catch up to her, and she felt hot tears prick at her eyes. Charlotte appeared to notice this, and her gaze softened at once.

"Tessa, dear," she said, "you poor child. If Jem and Will did anything that frightened you, I assure you that was not their intention." She fixed a hard gaze on Jem, who raised his hands.

"Why do you assume I frightened her?" he exclaimed.

Charlotte turned back to Tessa. "Come, dear. I'll do my best to explain what we are."

Immediately she turned and began to walk deeper into the church. Tessa found she had to hurry to keep up.

"I'm sorry," Tessa panted, "but who are you? What are you? And what am I?"

Charlotte didn't reply for a moment, but rather paused at a door. She swung it open. "In you go, love," she said. Tessa hesitated for a moment, then ducked into the room.

It was small and not elaborately furnished. There was a dark wooden desk and a bureau, as well as a narrow but comfortable-looking bed. Tessa perched cautiously on its edge.

Charlotte closed the door and drew up a chair behind the desk. She sat down and peered at Tessa. "Now, let me introduce myself. I'm Charlotte Branwell, and I'm head of the London Institute – that is, this building. We are the local – headquarters, I suppose you could say, for Shadowhunters in London."

"Shadowhunters," Tessa recalled. "That's what the goblin called Will."

"Yes," Charlotte nodded. "We are a race, an organization, dedicated to serving Heaven and purging this Earth of demons."

"Demons!"

"Yes. They do exist, Tessa, and are every bit as evil as the stories depict them to be. Our purpose is to eradicate them from this world."

"And how's that going for you?" Tessa said weakly.

Charlotte smiled sadly. "The battle's never over, Tessa. Demons keep coming back to this world from their home dimensions, through little cracks and holes in the veil that keeps the worlds separate. All we can do is kill them, and their essence returns to that void from which they came."

"So you're guardian angels, essentially."

"In a nutshell, I suppose so." Charlotte peered at her. "Now, when Will and Jem met you at that restaurant that night, they assumed you were an ordinary mundane – that is, an ordinary human with no knowledge of the Shadow World."

"Mundane? That's what the goblin called Sophie."

"Sophie is a mundane. She's not a Shadowhunter like we are, but she's possessed of a very special gift – she can see through the magic that obscures the vision of most mundanes and can see the Shadow World in all its horror and glory. She often wondered if she was going mad, until she met us."

Tessa tried, she really did, to process all the information that Charlotte was telling her, but she couldn't. Charlotte evidently saw her struggling, because she got to her feet.

"Here, let's see if this helps." She strode over to a bookcase and pulled one of the books from the shelf before handing it to Tessa.

"_The Shadowhunter's Codex_," she read.

"Will tells us you have a love for literature. Perhaps if you were to read about us rather than have me tell you, you'd understand a bit better."

Tessa looked up. Charlotte smiled at her kindly, and Tessa attempted to smile back.

"Would it be okay if I had a few minutes to start reading this?"

"Of course," Charlotte said at once. "Just come looking for me if you need me." She smiled one last time and left the room.

Tessa clutched the _Codex_ to her chest and slowly slid sideways onto the bed. Only then did she let the tears of shock engulf her, and she wept.

**Reviews please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! Here's the next chapter in the story:**

Tessa didn't cry very long before she wiped the tears from her eyes and opened the _Codex_. The temptation was too great.

She'd never really liked non-fiction, but this was different. She was determined to know more about this world that she'd inadvertently stumbled across.

Tessa learned that Shadowhunters had been created by the angel Raziel, who had also bestowed on them the black Marks that she'd noticed on Jem's arm when she'd first met him. They provided the Shadowhunters with magical protection – healing, strength, speed – that set them apart from ordinary humans. She learned about their gear, their steles, Idris, the Mortal Instruments and all sorts of other things.

She learned that Shadowhunters pledged their lives to the protection of mundanes, ordinary humans who couldn't see the Shadow World and had no clue that incarnations of evil were everywhere. Mundanes, like herself.

Then she came to the section on Downworlders: supernatural creatures of partial demon origin, such as werewolves, vampires, warlocks and faeries. She eyed the diagrams of faeries with fascination. They weren't just tiny little blonde Tinker Bells, scattering magic dust and helping children fly to Never Land – they were a race of beings, half angel and half demon, with great beauty and cunning.

She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until someone was knocking on the door and she was sitting up, realizing that her head had been resting on the pages of the book. She went to answer the door.

It was Will. He stood there, heartbreakingly handsome, and Tessa felt her heart skip a beat.

"Dinner's ready," he told her. "You ready to go down?"

Tessa nodded, and she followed Will through the stone corridors of the London Institute.

Will led her to a large room with a fireplace, although there was no lit fire in it. Jem, Sophie and Charlotte sat seated at a large table. Tessa looked at Sophie, who offered her a smile. Tessa tried to smile back, although it probably looked more like a weak grimace, and slid into her seat.

"Now that we're all here," said Charlotte, "we can get down to dinner."

As if on cue, a group of servants flooded into the dining room, carrying lavish plates of gourmet-looking food. Tessa saw foie gras, escargots, Hungarian goulash, bratwurst and a bunch of other food she'd never even laid eyes on before. Was this how Jem and Will dined every night?

She didn't even realize how hungry she was until she began eating. She wolfed down her dinner, roared on by her appetite. By the time she was finished, the others were all sitting back, their plates cleared.

"Now then." Charlotte looked at Tessa. "I imagine you have some questions for us."

They all looked at her expectantly.

"Just one," Tessa said. "What am I?"

Charlotte blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm a mundane. But I can see the Shadow World. How's that even possible?"

Sophie nodded. "I can understand."

Jem frowned. "It's an interesting question. Some mundanes do possess the Sight, and we're not entirely sure why. Some Shadowhunters think that these mundanes might have some sort of Downworlder blood in them – but you look completely human, and if you had Downworlder blood in you, you probably wouldn't."

"Of course," said Will with a grin, "we can't be sure that she looks human at all unless we look _everywhere_."

"_William_!" came a sharp voice from behind Tessa. She turned, and saw a girl standing there. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, and she was the spitting image of Will – black hair, pale skin, and dark blue eyes that were currently glittering with indignation.

"Oh, hello, Cecily," said Will in a bored tone. "Tessa, meet Cecily, my younger sister who behaves like my mother."

"Oh, don't listen to him," said Cecily, casting her brother an impatient look as she stepped forward. "Hi, Tessa. It's nice to meet you." She smiled, and Tessa instantly liked her. The arrogance that Will exuded was clearly absent from Cecily.

Turning to Charlotte, Cecily added, "Sorry I'm late to dinner. I was busy doing – stuff." She didn't elaborate, and Charlotte didn't ask her to.

"Now, Tessa," Charlotte said, "are you sure you're all right? Most mundanes, shortly after encountering our world – not that many of them do – suffer from some sort of shock. You seem fine, but perhaps I should summon someone just to be sure you're okay?" She gazed at Tessa with kindly concern.

"I'm not made of glass," Tessa said indignantly.

"Of that I'm sure. But it's best to be safe. Most people just discovering about the Shadow World usually take at least a few hours before meeting a Silent Brother."

Tessa frowned and was about to ask Charlotte to explain, but Sophie butted in.

"Charlotte's been ever so kind and she's called the University. We're going to spend the night here in the Institute – if that's okay with you?" Sophie looked at her.

"Sure," Tessa said. "Why not?"

Sophie grinned, and Tessa saw, with some relief, that not only was she unharmed, she was still the same roommate and friend that she'd been to Tessa for the past week.

What followed next was a benign interrogation of sorts – Charlotte questioned Tessa about her family ("You know both your parents to be mundanes, is that correct?") and about any previous encounters with the Shadow World that Tessa might have had ("You've never seen anyone with three eyes, perhaps, or a lizard's tail?"). By the time she was done, Tessa was feeling exhausted.

"I think I'd like to explore this Institute," she said, standing up. "It seems there's much to be seen."

Will rose as well. "Would you care for a tour of the building? It is quite large, and we wouldn't want our new guest to get lost."

Cecily shot Will an incredulous look. Tessa looked at Will for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I'll take it."

Will smiled. "Then follow me."

**~~Page Break~~**

Will proved to be a surprisingly good tour guide. He walked her around the enormous Institute and explained to her Shadowhunter terminology.

"So the Enclave is the Shadowhunters who live in London and surrounding areas," Tessa repeated to clarify, "and the Clave is the worldwide community of Nephilim?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Will asked, amused.

"My brother always told me that curiosity was my besetting sin."

They fell silent for a moment. Then Tessa let her besetting sin go a bit too far.

"How about you? Why are you here at the London Institute?"

Will looked at her, his face hidden in shadow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't think you come from here. You've been here a long time, but I can tell you're not originally from here."

Will remained silent.

"Oh, that's it, isn't it?" Tessa exclaimed. "You're here because you're an orphan, like me! Is that it?"

"No," said Will, and suddenly his voice was charged with venom. "It isn't. My advice to you, Tessa Gray – if you want to survive very long around Shadowhunters, you should probably learn how to keep your mouth shut and stop making unwanted, incorrect deductions. Then maybe the Shadowhunters will let you live."

With that, he turned and stalked away, leaving a very confused Tessa staring after him.

**I haven't decided yet whether this fanfiction should be Wessa or Jessa. What do you guys think? Leave me your answers in the reviews!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello y'all, I'm back! Sorry for being away for over a week, but here's the next chapter:**

After Will abandoned her in the corridors of the Institute, it didn't take long for Tessa to get hopelessly lost.

Glumly, she meandered through the halls of the Institute. Finally, though, she heard voices talking, and she followed the sound.

Sophie and Jem were in a bedroom, talking quietly. As Tessa stepped in, they looked up at her.

"I am sorry if I am interrupting anything," Tessa apologized, "but I find myself lost in the Institute, and having heard the sound of voices, I followed the sound in the hope of finding someone."

"It's fine," Jem smiled. "Sophie and I were just talking about the goblin today."

Tessa sank onto the bed. "From what I've read in the _Codex_, it appears to be against the Law for Downworlders to attack mundanes."

Jem nodded gravely. "It is. That's why Will killed it – in circumstances such as those, Shadowhunters are authorized to use lethal force to subdue rogue Downworlders."

Sophie gulped. "Jem was just telling me that unlawful Downworlder attacks against mundanes like us have been increasing as of late, and the reason is unknown."

"Is that so?" Tessa asked.

"Yes," Jem confirmed. "Sometimes the Enclave is called to investigate, and by the time we get there, all we find are the bodies of a few mundanes. The rogue Downworlders, of course, have vanished without a trace. We don't know why they're starting to attack mundanes – it's not as if the mundanes pose a threat to them."

Tessa remembered news reports on TV about how London's murder rate seemed to be on the rise, how Aunt Harriet had warned her to be careful just before she left New York. Had a race of mythical origin been behind all these murders?

She sank down onto a chair. "I'm sorry – it's just that it's a lot to process."

"I understand," Jem said sympathetically. "I'll leave you with Sophie – perhaps you could use a little girl talk."

"We could, at that," Sophie agreed as Jem slipped out the door silently.

There was silence, and then Sophie came to sit next to Tessa.

"I know how difficult it is when you discover there's a dark, magical world boiling under the surface of the one you've always known," Sophie told Tessa. "I was only eleven when I discovered the Shadowhunters."

"You were? How did that happen?"

Sophie smiled sadly. "I was stupid and wandering on my own. I was unlucky enough to wander into a Downworlder pub. I was terrified by the creatures I saw in there – " She fell silent, and Tessa tried to imagine an eleven-year-old girl wandering into a den full of vampires, werewolves, warlocks and the likes of creatures she'd seen in the _Codex_.

"It was lucky the Shadowhunters arrived there on time," Sophie continued, "or I don't know what would've become of me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Sophie looked at her. "In some ways, it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I used to see things, creatures on the streets of London that I now realize were faeries, strange men and women in the night who I now know were vampires. I used to hear strange sounds around the full moon – werewolves' howls – and when I visited the countryside, I could swear I could see strange lights in the woods – probably faeries dancing. I used to think I was going crazy, and was wondering whether I needed counselling or a mental asylum. Now I know why I saw the things I saw."

Tessa had never seen anything that she found remotely supernatural before she came to London, but she wondered what that must have been like. "And – what about demons?"

Sophie recoiled at once. "I have never seen a demon," she said emphatically. "Charlotte warns me when there are demons about, and I go home at once and stay there. Demons are unholy creatures, and it is the Shadowhunters' mission to destroy them."

Tessa heard the fear in Sophie's voice and decided to drop the subject of demons. Instead, she asked, "How do you maintain an ordinary life with a Shadow World one?"

Sophie relaxed a little bit. "Well, I don't associate much with the Shadowhunters – they'd never let me." She sounded sad for a moment. "Sometimes I come over to the Institute to hang out with Cecily and Jem, but mostly I stick to my mundane life."

"Cecily and Jem? What about Will?"

To Tessa's surprise, Sophie's face darkened. "What about him?"

"Well, I mean – don't you hang out with Will too?"

Sophie was silent for a moment. "The thing about Will, Tessa, is that he's rotten to the core. He spends his time either passed out drunk or hooking up with everything female under the sun. He's not a good person."

"I – "

"Zoologists say that the more beautiful a tree frog, the more deadly its poison. Will is like that. He is wonderful to look at, but dare to touch him and he will hurt you badly. I don't know if it's a defence mechanism, but it's the only thing he knows how to do. So keep away from him, Tessa – it's for your own good."

"You sound like you have a lot of experience with this venom in him," Tessa marvelled.

Sophie looked at her. "I do," she said shortly.

She did not sound like she wanted to talk about it anymore, so Tessa, although her curiosity was far from satisfied, decided to drop this subject too.

"What happens to us after tonight?"

"Well," Sophie sighed, "we spend the night here at the Institute. And then we return to the University, and return to the mundane world. And we continue being mundanes, just as we always have been."

Tessa thought about that as she went to bed.

**I wanted Sophie and Tessa to bond as gal pals. What'd you guys think? Reviews please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I've just finished reading _City of Heavenly Fire_, and somehow that's caused my feels for _The Infernal Devices_ to increase. Anyhow, next chapter:**

By and large, Sophie was right. The next day, Tessa and Sophie returned to the University, and their ordinary life resumed.

Tessa had been expecting for the Shadow World to weigh down heavily on her mind, but instead she found that it was surprisingly easy to maintain a mundane life without worrying too much about the Shadowhunters. Work at the University kept her sufficiently busy. She saw Jem and Will frequently, but not once did they make reference to the goblin or to what they really were. Will was too busy making out with every female under the sun, as Tessa gradually came to see.

Sometimes, she wondered whether her encounter with the goblin had just been a dream.

But then, she'd go out into London, and she'd see something. A blue-skinned girl with wings moving, unseen, through the crowds, or a man who was too tall to _be_ a man. One evening, she even saw an unnaturally beautiful, pale woman turn and smile at her, and Tessa could've sworn she saw _fangs_.

When she saw things like this, she'd turn to Sophie, and without a word Sophie would shake her head, almost imperceptibly. Tessa knew her by now and knew what she meant: _Don't talk about it_.

This went on for a few weeks.

**~~Page Break~~**

Tessa struggled towards her dorm room, barely balancing an enormous stack of books on her arms. She teetered this way and that, lurching in the direction of her room until she reached the door.

"Sophie!" she called. "Open the door! I have no free hands at the moment!"

There was a moment of silence, and the door swung open. Tessa took two steps into the room and then her tower of books fell.

"Great," Tessa groaned. "Now I have to pick these all up."

Sophie stood by the door, but her face looked uncharacteristically grim. Glancing towards the beds, Tessa saw why.

Jem and Will sat side-by-side on Sophie's bed. They were dressed in Shadowhunter gear and looked like they were ready for battle. Tessa knew at once that this wasn't an ordinary hangout between the four of them. Somehow, the Shadow World was involved.

"What's going on?" she asked warily.

Jem cleared his throat. "Hi, Tessa," he said. "We've come to ask a favour."

"A bloody huge favour," Sophie muttered, marching to Tessa's bed. She plonked herself down opposite from the two boys and glared at them.

"What do you need?" Tessa asked.

Will turned to look at her. His beautiful – Tessa cursed herself – blue eyes were lazy. When he spoke, it was with his usual arrogant drawl.

"Technically, we don't _need_ anything from you," he replied. "We're Shadowhunters. We don't _need_ anything from anyone."

"If that's the case, then you _need_ to get out," Sophie retorted sharply.

"Will," said Jem warningly, "I told you to behave yourself."

Will shrugged, clearly unfazed.

Jem turned back to Tessa and Sophie. "As I was saying, we're in need of a favour. We have been investigating the recent unprovoked Downworlder attacks on mundanes that we mentioned to you at the Institute."

"You need help with your investigation?" Tessa asked incredulously. "Help from mundanes like us?"

"Let him finish," said Will irritably. Tessa shot him a glare.

"We do, actually," Jem admitted. "We have reason to believe that the Downworlder attacks are linked to an organization known by many as the Pandemonium Club. It is a nightclub located in the East End of London, frequented by both mundanes and Downworlders. Our Downworld source was reluctant to disclose any information of great import, but upon further questioning he revealed that it seems the Downworlders have been ordered by a certain authority to attack mundanes. It is our mission, therefore, to infiltrate the Pandemonium Club and determine the reason for these orders."

"And what have Sophie and I got to do with it?" Tessa inquired.

Jem took a deep breath. "The bouncers at the nightclub are mundanes. They will admit Shadowhunters, not knowing the difference between us and mundanes. But once we enter the nightclub, there are certain to be many Downworlders who will recognize us instantly for who we are. It is likely that we will be overwhelmed should we ourselves try to infiltrate the Pandemonium Club."

"So you want me and Sophie to do your dirty work for you?" Tessa exclaimed.

"Not alone," Jem said quickly. "Will and I would be there. But we would need to be glamoured against the gazes of mundanes and Downworlders alike. Only a mundane would be able to enter the nightclub without arousing suspicion among the Downworlders."

"So you're going to be there," Tessa said, trying to recall the term "glamour" from the _Codex_, "but you're going to be invisible? And you want me and Sophie to head on in there, being mundanes, so you can sneak in too and get whatever information you need?"

"In a nutshell."

Sophie spoke. "I won't do it."

Tessa turned to her, but Sophie was shaking. "I'm sorry. I'll not get involved in a Downworlder nightclub again. That's what happened to me before. It's not going to happen again."

Tessa understood at once. Sophie had blundered into a Downworlder nightclub when she was eleven and by so doing had discovered the Shadow World. She didn't want to be exposed to Downworlders again.

"I see," said Jem heavily. "If that's the case, then we apologize most grievously for wasting your time. We shall have to make other arrangements – "

"Wait." Tessa spoke. "I'll do it."

All three of them turned to her, with identical expressions of surprise on their faces. "You will?" Will said.

"Yes."

"But you're new to the Shadow World," Sophie blurted out. "You mightn't know what you're dealing with!"

"It's kind of you to be concerned about my welfare," Tessa said carefully, "but I am sure I will be safe in the capable hands of Jem and Will. And I am happy to render them any assistance necessary to frustrate the schemes of anyone wicked enough to knowingly order the murders of innocent mundanes."

Jem smiled, and his face lit up with it. "Thank you, Tessa."

"So both of you will be there?"

"Yes," Jem started to say, but Will cut in.

"If only one of you is going to the Pandemonium Club, perhaps it would be best for there only to be one of us there as well. One Shadowhunter at the Club is less likely to arouse suspicion than two."

Jem swallowed. "You are right, of course, but – " He looked at Tessa. "Would you be comfortable with only one Shadowhunter?"

Tessa gulped. "Yes," she said. "I think I'll be okay."

Sophie took Tessa's hand. "Tessa, it's incredibly dangerous, especially for mundanes," she breathed in Tessa's ear. "Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"I'll be okay," Tessa murmured back. She turned back to the Shadowhunters. "Well, gentlemen. Which of you shall it be?"

"Me," Will said quickly. "Duh. It was my idea."

Jem looked unhappy at that, but he nodded.

Tessa took a deep breath. "When do we depart?"

Will looked at her. "Now."

**It's time for adventure! Reviews please**


	8. Chapter 8

**I think that my feels for both _The Mortal Instruments_ and _The Infernal Devices_ are at critical levels now. Enjoy the next chapter!**

They didn't leave _now_.

Tessa was promptly spirited away to the Institute by Jem and Will to be prepped and prepared. Cecily was key in preparing Tessa for Operation Pandemonium, as Will had termed the mission. She forced Tessa (with a great deal of difficulty) into a black, strapless dress that was a bit too short for Tessa's liking.

"You'll thank me for this later," she said cheerfully as Tessa attempted to protest.

"No I won't," Tessa said mutinously.

Charlotte fussed too, patting and playing with Tessa's hair and trying to help Cecily in any way possible, although she most often ended up obstructing the younger girl as she prepared Tessa for her second encounter with the Shadow World.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cecily stepped back. "You're ready," she said with satisfaction.

Tessa wobbled her way in six-inch high heels to the mirror. The black dress really was way too tight and short - Tessa wasn't accustomed to displaying so much of her body. Her hair was done nicely, it was true, but Cecily had added a smidge too much makeup to her face. Her lips were blood red, her skin far too pale, and her eyes were rimmed with kohl, so that she looked like some sort of Ancient Egyptian priestess.

"Is this really necessary?" Tessa demanded.

"Yes, yes, it is, it's exactly what the Downworlders expect and love," Cecily declared, hurrying Tessa to the door. "Now, let's go, you're wasting time. Mundanes are dying and Downworlders are partying."

"Cecily, this is no time for jokes," Charlotte warned as she followed Tessa and Cecily out the door. "This is a very serious situation."

"If you say so," Cecily muttered under her breath, too quiet for Charlotte to hear. Tessa stifled a giggle despite the seriousness of the situation.

Will and Jem were waiting for them by the Institute door. Will was dressed in just a black dress shirt and pants, but he was gorgeous enough to take Tessa's breath away. When she looked at Jem, she was met with another kind of beauty - a quiet, modest sort. She cursed herself for being susceptible to good looks.

Will's eyes gave her an up and down, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval. "The taxi's waiting outside," he told Tessa. "Let's go. We haven't a moment to lose."

Tessa teetered and tottered her way down the Institute steps to the London cab. Will followed her down.

"Don't you need to glamour yourself?" she asked.

"I'm already glamoured," he responded. "You can see me because you know I'm glamoured. To Downworlders who are unaware of my presence, they will find it very difficult to see me - and it will be practically impossible for mundanes to see me."

Tessa hopped into the taxi. The driver turned around. "Where to, miss?" he asked in a Cockney accent. He seemed completely oblivious to Will, who was sitting by Tessa's side.

Tessa rattled off the address that Will had given her, and the taxi pulled away from the Institute.

Will looked at her. "I'm going to be in the club with you," he told her. "You're going to be fine. But you will probably have to engage in dialogue with some of the Downworlders and dance a little, as well - otherwise you'll blow your own cover."

"I don't know the first thing about dancing," she hissed to him. The taxi driver frowned in the rearview mirror at her, confused as to why she was talking to herself. Hastily, she put her phone to her ear so it looked like she was talking to someone on the phone.

"Most of the mundanes there don't know anything about dancing either," Will responded. "Believe me, I've seen dancing mundanes. It isn't pretty. They're just there because it's one of London's hottest nightclubs. Focus on trying to be one of the mundane visitors - preferably a ditzy, silly little girl. Believe me, Tess, you won't be alone."

_Tess_. Tessa marvelled at the sound of it - no one had ever called her Tess. Always Tessa. Her brother sometimes called her Tessie, but no one had ever called her _Tess_. She decided not to remark on it, and instead asked a practical question.

"What sort of Downworlders are going to be there?"

"All sorts," Will said. "There are certain to be warlocks there, because warlocks greatly enjoy partaking in dens of sin and vice. But you shall probably see one or two vampires and werewolves, and possibly even a faerie or two - but that is rather unlikely, for the fey tend to keep to themselves."

Tessa shuddered. "My first experience with the Fair Folk is not one I expect I shall recall with fondness in the future."

Will nodded gravely. "Never trust a faerie. They cannot lie, but the truths they tell are nonetheless freighted with deceit and trickery. Never accept gifts they give you, and never bargain with them, for they only bargain when they are certain they will win."

"You're frightening me, Will. What if I completely blow my cover? I haven't the slightest clue how I'm expected to act."

"Don't worry. Most of the mundanes at this club have no idea that some of the people around them are not human. As long as you fit in with the other mundanes, your cover will remain intact. I shall whisper in your ear when I need you to go somewhere or do something."

The taxi stopped - they had arrived. Tessa handed the driver a wad of money, and she and Will stepped out of the taxi together.

The entrance to the Pandemonium Club was nothing special - there hung merely a sign above the entrance reading "Pandemonium Club". There was a muscular bouncer standing by the club entrance. As Tessa approached, he inclined his head and moved to the side, leaving Tessa free to enter the club.

Tessa inhaled, and placed her hand on the doorknob. "Here we go," she murmured, and pushed the door open and entered.

**Not one of my longest chapters, but enjoy regardless. And what shall Tessa find in the Pandemonium Club? Leave me some reviews and suggestions! I'm very open to suggestions! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi guys! I've been travelling, but here's what you came for:**

The second Tessa entered the club, she turned to ask Will a question, but he had already vanished, lost in the crowds.

"Thanks a lot," she muttered under her breath, turning to face the club.

It was darkly lit, with a disco ball in the centre of the ceiling, flashing all sorts of colours onto the dancing crowds below. Tessa felt the need to grope around the dimly lit club because she could barely see anything. On the other side of the large room she stood in, she could see a bar, and between her and that bar were hundreds of sweaty, dancing bodies.

Much to her relief, the club's patrons appeared to be human enough. She saw no evidence of Downworlders. Then she remembered what she'd been told – sometimes, Downworlders were not so easily distinguished from mundanes. Stifling a shudder, she moved forward. And that was when she realized that many of the patrons were _not_ human at all.

A handsome boy turned to face her, with pale skin and blue eyes. His mouth gaped open, and she saw fangs. In terror, she stumbled backwards, and instead bumped into a girl with bright blue skin.

"Oof!" grunted the girl. "Watch where you're going!"

Tessa couldn't help it – she stared. The girl had bright auburn hair and pointed ears – she had to be a faerie. Remembering Will's warning and what she'd read in the _Codex_ about the Fair Folk and how they loved to manipulate humans, her senses went on high alert.

"I-I-I'm sorry," she stuttered.

The faerie girl's eyes narrowed; she had noticed Tessa staring at her. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Someone new to the club," Tessa stammered.

The faerie girl's eyes remained narrowed. "I see." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she produced a drink. "Well, welcome to the Pandemonium Club. Fancy a drink?"

Tessa stared at the drink. It was hot pink – she'd never seen such a pink drink before. "Um…"

"Just a sip," the girl coaxed. "It's my own concoction, you know."

She pushed it into Tessa's hand. Up close, the drink smelled sweet, inviting. Tessa yearned to put the glass to her lips and swallow it. Almost unthinkingly, she began to raise the glass.

"Tessa! There you are!"

Tessa turned, expecting to see Will, but instead she met a tall, lean man. The shape of his eyes gave him a somewhat Asian look, and he had brown skin. He seemed to be wearing glitter around his eyes, and was wearing one of the most flamboyant outfits Tessa had ever seen – hot pink pants, a long overcoat (with no shirt underneath) and a brightly coloured shawl. As he turned to face Tessa, though, she saw his eyes.

They had slit pupils, like the eyes of a cat.

_A warlock_, Tessa realized, remembering that every warlock had something about them that distinguished them from being human.

"I told you not to go wandering away from me," he scolded her playfully. He looked up. "Sorry, Hyacinth. Has she been bothering you?"

The faerie girl looked at the man with the eyes of a cat. "No, not in the slightest," she said. She looked again at Tessa. "It was nice meeting you." With that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

The cat-eyed man turned to look at Tessa. "Let's go find Will," he said, and pulled her away.

Hurrying to keep up with him, Tessa panted, "Who are you?"

The warlock man looked back at her, his eyes twinkling. "Me? I'm Magnus Bane."

**~~Page Break~~**

Will elbowed his way past a couple of dancing mundanes. They looked around in confusion, then shrugged and continued dancing.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for – suspicious behaviour, perhaps? Something along those lines. He felt a little bad for abandoning Tessa, but he had to scout the club, see if he could get any useful information.

Worming through the densely knit crowd, he spotted a group of people sitting at a table. They seemed to be separate from the rest of the club's patrons, and upon closer inspection, Will saw that they were Downworlders – a couple of vampires, werewolves, even a faerie or two. He made his way towards them and stood a few yards away from them.

"I hate the smell of mundanes," one of them was saying. A werewolf. As far as Will knew, the Moon's Children had caused no trouble to any mundanes so far. As he watched, the werewolf gazed with disdain at the laughing, jumping teenagers a few steps away from him, then he snorted.

"Keep your voice down," hissed another one of them, this time a vampire girl. She sipped elegantly from a glass of what looked like red wine – Will suspected very much that it wasn't. "We don't want to be caught."

"Oh, for _God's_ sake," said the werewolf. Hearing his emphasis on the word _God_, the vampire girl glared at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. Several of the other Downworlders chuckled at seeing the vampire girl's anger, and she snarled, whirling round to face them.

"Fighting already, children?" came an amused voice. Out of the crowd materialized another two Downworlders – a pair of warlock women. They wore garishly bright clothes and elbow-length gloves. One was short and plump, the other tall and thin. They looked very different, but even from a distance, Will could see that both their eyes glittered with cruelty. The other Downworlders stiffened, and those who were standing stood to attention.

"No, Dark Sisters," they chorused like little schoolchildren.

Will's ears perked up. He listened more intently. The Dark Sisters were an infamous pair of warlock sisters, known for breaking Covenant Law but somehow managing to evade the grasp of the Clave. They practised dark magic, and there were rumours in Downworld that they tortured and experimented on mundanes. If the Dark Sisters were involved, it had to be serious. Seriously evil.

"Good," said the tall and thin Dark Sister. "Because Mrs. Black and I would hate it if you were to misbehave here, in the presence of so many mundanes."

The Downworlders shifted uncomfortably.

Mrs. Black spoke. "Do not forget that you are all in the employ of the Magister. It is he who has allowed you your liberty, the freedom that the Nephilim have denied you."

"We know, we know," said the vampire girl hastily.

Mrs. Dark's eyes narrowed. "I hope you appreciate his generosity," she said softly. "Or would you rather bend to the Law and the Accords which the Shadowhunters have imposed onto us?"

"No," chorused the Downworlders.

"Then remain faithful to the Magister," the Dark Sisters said in unison. "For soon, the Magister's plan will be enacted. The Shadowhunters will cease to be a problem, and you will have all the freedom you desire."

The vampire girl's mouth stretched wide in a ghastly smile, and the werewolf began to laugh.

Will had heard enough. He turned and left.

**~~Page Break~~**

"Magnus who?" Tessa asked.

"Magnus Bane. Didn't the Shadowhunters at the Institute tell you?" At Tessa's blank look, Magnus sighed. "I guess not."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. The Shadowhunters aren't a very grateful people."

"Then explain to me who you are."

"I'm the London Enclave's Downworld source," Magnus said proudly. "I'm the one who told them about the Pandemonium Club and that rogue Downworlders have been ordered to attack mundanes."

"By who?"

"Well, if I knew, you wouldn't be here now, would you?"

There was a tap at Tessa's shoulder, and she turned to see Will. He looked tense and grim. Glancing past her, he nodded to Magnus. "Hi, Magnus."

"Hello, Will," said Magnus cheerfully. "It seems you forgot to tell Tessa here about me."

"Must've slipped my mind," Will muttered, then turned to Tessa. "Tessa, we have to go. I've found out – stuff."

"All right," Tessa said, not without relief. She turned to Magnus. "It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Bane."

"Please, call me Magnus," said the warlock. "Goodbye for now, Tessa. I'm sure we'll meet again very soon."

Tessa turned and followed Will away. As she was about to leave, she glanced back, but Magnus had disappeared into the crowd as if he'd never existed at all.

**One of you kind reviewers mentioned Magnus and suggested that Tessa meet him, and I thought that was an awesome idea. What did you guys think? Reviews please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone! I'm on holiday in Scotland, which is why I've been slow with the updates, but anyway, here y'all go:**

"The Magister?" Jem glanced at Will. "That's Latin for 'master', isn't it?"

Will flung his hands up. "I don't know!" he replied.

Charlotte was pacing back and forth, her face barely illuminated by the witchlight. "This is very troubling," she murmured. "Very, very troubling." She turned to face them, and Tessa saw her expression. It wasn't just a troubled one – it was one verging on panic.

"If the Downworlders are beginning to turn on the Clave, then who can we count on?" she fretted. "What to do, what to do?"

"Charlotte," Jem said quietly, "you are the Head of what is arguably the most influential Institute in Europe. We look to you for guidance."

All eyes turned to rest on Charlotte. Gradually, her hysterical expression faded away, to be replaced by one of determination and steely resolve. She straightened, and Tessa saw that, despite her small stature, she commanded attention like almost no one she had ever met.

"I'll need to talk to the Downworlder leaders of London," she decided. "We must determine that their loyalties lie with the Clave and not with the Magister. Whoever he is, he seems to have something planned that involves turning the Downworlders on the Shadowhunters." She thought for a moment, and then her face lit up. "And then I'll have to talk to the Clave in Idris. We have to discuss this potential threat with the Heads of other Institutes. But, we'll start with the local Downworlders and at least ascertain our immediate safety."

Cecily, who had been sitting in a corner watching quietly, rose to her feet. "I'll help you, Charlotte," she volunteered.

"So will I," Jem agreed.

Charlotte turned to look at them. "Thank you. We haven't a moment to lose." All three of them bustled out of the room, leaving just Tessa and Will.

Silence fell, and Tessa was suddenly all too aware that she was dressed still in the horribly short dress that Cecily had forced her into. Will turned to look at her, giving her an up-and-down with his eyes, and then gave her a nod. "You have my approval," he declared.

"You pervert," Tessa scowled, hastily covering what she could.

Will chuckled. "You're so amusing to watch, Tess."

_Tess_. There it was again, that nickname that no one else had given her. Tessa turned to look at Will.

"Will?" she asked softly.

"Yes?"

He really did have gorgeous blue eyes.

Swallowing, Tessa asked, "Why'd you abandon me at the Pandemonium Club?"

"Well, Tess, I had things to do and information to find out. That's what being a Shadowhunter is half the time, you know – being a spy, like James Bond."

"I doubt you would make a very good James Bond."

"I certainly look the part, though."

"Rubbish," Tessa retorted, although she secretly agreed.

There was silence again, and then she cleared her throat. "I probably sound like a foolish little mundane, but – I was frightened when you left me, Will. I was – still am – new to the Shadow World, and had no idea how to react and what to do. And I was surrounded by all these Downworlders. It's lucky Magnus Bane found me, because I don't know what would've become of me if he hadn't."

Will gazed at her, and his gaze was soft. "You were frightened?"

Tessa nodded.

A warm hand cupped her chin, and Tessa's head tilted upwards. Will's face was just inches from hers.

"I'm sorry," he breathed.

And then they were kissing. Tessa breathed in the scent of Will, and tasted his lips on hers. She drowned in the kiss, sinking deeper and deeper into Will. Everything was fire and water and ice all mixed together in a swirling, confusing vortex behind her eyelids.

She began to reach for Will – and then he broke it off. He took two steps backwards, breathing heavily.

"Will?" Her own voice sounded strange to her.

Will looked away. "I shouldn't have done that." His voice sounded strange, too – it lacked all the arrogance and the mocking tone to which she had grown accustomed.

"Will." She began to take a step forward, but Will shook his head.

"I apologize, Tessa, but I think it perhaps best if you leave now."

Tessa stared at him. "Leave?" she echoed blankly.

Will nodded. He wore an unreadable expression on his face. "I am sorry, but I find myself rather overwhelmed at this time – not solely because of you, but for a variety of reasons. Please, for my sake – please. Return to the University. Sophie will be waiting for you." His mouth closed, and it was clear he planned on saying no more.

Tessa took one step backwards, and then another. Then she turned and fled the Institute. Her back turned to Will, there was no way she could have seen the unreadable expression on Will's face melt into something much more recognizable and painful.

**~~Page Break~~**

Tessa elected to walk back to the University from the Institute, hoping the walk would clear her mind. It did not. She remained confused and bewildered the entire way back to the University.

Sophie was indeed waiting for her with a cold face towel. "Cecily called me the minute you and Will arrived back at the Institute," she told Tessa as she stepped in. "Tell me, how did it go?"

Tessa told Sophie everything as the other girl gently washed her face with the towel. She left out the part where she and Will kissed – that part was too confusing for herself to understand, let alone for her to explain to someone else.

Sophie's face was full of concern. "It is lucky no harm came to you," she remarked. "Alone for even a few minutes, in a club full of vampires and faeries? I cannot fathom why Will thought it even a possibility to leave you like that."

Tessa's heart sighed at the thought of Will, and she mentally kicked it.

"They didn't even thank me," she realized. "Jem nodded to me in gratitude as he left with Charlotte and Cecily to contact the Downworlder leaders – that is more that can be said for the others at the Institute."

Sophie nodded understandingly. "Shadowhunters don't take mundanes seriously," she said. "Even if a mundane helps them on one of their missions, as you just did. Although the Shadowhunters' objective is to protect the human race from demons and the like, mundanes like us will never truly be regarded as equal in the eyes of the Nephilim."

Tessa heard the bitterness in Sophie's voice and turned to look at her. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"It will take generations before the Shadowhunters' prejudiced view against all non-Nephilim fades," Sophie responded. "The only way mundanes can achieve equality in Shadowhunter society is if we Ascend."

Tessa remembered reading about Ascension in the _Codex_ – the process by which a mundane was made a Shadowhunter, culminating in the aforementioned mundane drinking from the Mortal Cup. "But that is a long and arduous process."

"Maybe so," Sophie agreed. "But it is all I have ever wanted for myself, ever since I discovered the Shadow World."

"Then why don't you speak of your aspirations to Charlotte or to one of the Shadowhunters at the Institute?"

"I doubt they would take me seriously." Sophie smiled at Tessa. "But it's all right. I have long accepted that I am doomed to this existence as a mundane."

Tessa thought about that as she and Sophie went to sleep.

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